Changes In Latitude

After over a year of debate, we finally pulled the trigger.  Our house went on the market on Monday, April 16.  After 4 days and 10 showings, we had an offer.  And on Friday, April 20, we were under contract for full asking price!

We were NOT expecting it go that fast.  But I was thankful because for every showing, I had to make sure the house was spotless, pack up Jack and the dogs, and get out of the house for at least an hour.  By day 4, I was at my wits end.  Needless to say, we were ecstatic!

However, since we were not expecting the house to go so fast, we really hadn't been seriously looking for another house.  We had to accept that there was a very good possibility we would have to find short term housing.  But the stars alined, our financing kinks got worked out, and after a bit of hunting we found a great house in the Park Hill neighborhood in Denver.  By Friday, April 27, we were under contract!  That is a busy two weeks!

The decision to ditch the suburbs and move back to city life, is one that we have been talking about for quiet a while.  We were faced with a lot of questions and confusion from loved ones regarding our decision and in the end it became exhausting because we felt we were constantly trying to justify our choice.  Sometimes you just want to hear "That's great!  I am so happy/excited for you!" even if the person expressing the well wishes doesn't agree with or understand your decision.

We live in a great part of town and in a beautiful subdivision. A lovely, spacious home that has great schools. What more could we want? Why would we possibly want to leave?  It's a beautiful dream, it's just not OUR dream.

We moved to the suburbs prematurely. When it was time to buy a house I realized that you can get a LOT more house in the burbs for the same price as a small bungalow in the city. I lit the fire and J let it burn. We made the decision together but we realized over time that the suburban life isn't for us.

I'm scared. I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm stressed. And I'm a little sad. We had a lot of big moments in our current house.  I can only hope that we are making the right decision for our family. It's a major change and it's going to take some adjusting. But at the same time I am very proud of us. We are taking a chance. We are going after something that we really want.  It's a new chapter and I'm excited to see what the future has in store for us…

J and I in front of our house for our first holiday.

Jack, making himself at home on the steps of his new house :)

Lindsey

Still Fight It

I have zero musical talent…can't sing, can't play….none, zero, zip. But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate, love, and respect all aspects of music. I am very much a believer that certain moments in life are defined by the song that was playing in the background.

J and I were sitting around tonight, after date night, listening to Ben Folds. J had me listen to a song that I have heard a hundred times before but TOTALLY misinterpreted until tonight. It's a song I have heard him sing before but never put two and two together. It's a song from a father to his son...

I saw the tears in his eyes as he sung it with meaning and it melted my heart. Another song to add to the soundtrack of our lives…(Ben Folds explains that the original video shot for this song sucked, so he and wife went out and shot the below video with their son….It made me cry.)



Ben Folds Five- Still Fighting It Lyrics

Good morning, son.
I am a bird
Wearing a brown polyester shirt
You want a coke?
Maybe some fries?
The roast beef combo's only $9.95
It's okay, you don't have to pay
I've got all the change

Everybody knows
It hurts to grow up
And everybody does
It's so weird to be back here
Let me tell you what
The years go on and
We're still fighting it, we're still fighting it
And you're so much like me
I'm sorry



Good morning, son
In twenty years from now
Maybe we'll both sit down and have a few beers
And I can tell you 'bout today
And how I picked you up and everything changed
It was pain
Sunny days and rain
I knew you'd feel the same things

Everybody knows
It sucks to grow up
And everybody does
It's so weird to be back here.
Let me tell you what
The years go on and
We're still fighting it, we're still fighting it
You'll try and try and one day you'll fly
Away from me

Good morning, son
I am a bird

It was pain
Sunny days and rain
I knew you'd feel the same things

Everybody knows
Tt hurts to grow up
And everybody does
It's so weird to be back here.
Let me tell you what
The years go on and
We're still fighting it, we're still fighting it
Oh, we're still fighting it, we're still fighting it

And you're so much like me
I'm sorry

Love you, Jack……Mom & Dad

Bon Voyage!

During the week of 3/18-3/25, we went on a cruise with my mom and grandma. Our stops included Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, Curacao and Bonaire.

I can't remember the last time I went on vacation with my gram or mom so it was great that we were able to share the time and experience together. Unfortunately, it was a very difficult trip to have a one year old. At sea day activities were very limited and sleeping in the same room with Jack is a nightmare. He is a very light sleeper and my baby who normally sleeps through the night was replaced with one that awoke several times a night and even ended up in bed with us a few times. I think the next vacation will be an adults only trip ;)

A few of the highlights from our trip:
- I did my first open water scuba dive in Bonaire. It was AMAZING! J has been encourgaing me to get certified for a while and while it wasn't something I thought I would enjoy, I ended up loving it. I got down to 78 feet (!), froze my tush off and saw an amazing reef. Can't wait to do it again!
- I actually really enjoy playing Blackjack ;)
-Apparently you CAN get sea sick on a really big boat….but a little Xanax will clear that right up!
-Half Moon Cay had one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen.

And here are my favorite images from our trip:































Lindsey

Happy 1st Birthday Jack!!!

Jack's first birthday was AMAZING!!! We kept it small, just J's brother & family, Danielle & her kids, and my dad flew out. BUT all of our other loved ones were included via Skype. Welcome to the 21st century…How amazing!



I had been stressing about this "party" for weeks. I really wanted to keep it simple and absorbe and enjoy the moment but at the same time I had this need for it to be perfect. I scoured the internet for ideas and just plain stressed.

I found this really great idea for a "rainbow cake" on Pinterest and then I stressed over whether or not I should make the cake and frosting from scratch or box….good lord so many freaking decisions. Just like everythign else involved with parenting…what is the best decision for my kid?!

Well I opted for cake from a box and frosting made from scratch. I made a test cake a few weeks before because I do NOT bake. But when the day came to make the "real" cake, I changed my cake mix. BIG mistake! Apparently when you live at almost 6000 feet above sea level you really DO need to follow the high altitude instructions. Each colorful layer was super, super, SUPER moist and as soon as I tried to frost it the cake would just peel away. I was devastated.

I sent my dad out to buy a crappy store bought cake but my wonderful husband insisted we try to make the homemade cake work. This was such a special day and I just wanted everything to be flawless for Jack but J reminded me what the day was really about…it wasn't about the perfect rainbow cake, it was about love and celebration that we all made it through the first year. The resulting cake was not perfect or really even pretty BUT it was made with love.





Thank you J for your outstanding cake decorations! AND for not giving up on me or the rainbow cake ;). I love you.

Jack took one 45 minute nap all day so by the time the party rolled around he was absolutely exhausted. I was fearful he would completely meltdown and the day would be a wash but he totally rallied (with the aid of a LOT of sugar!) and it was wonderful.



Major lesson learned on this day: "Perfections is the enemy of completion." I would like to add that perfection can also be the enemy of enjoyment so let it go!

It was a bittersweet day and I was sad to see the first year end. But I woke up the next morning with a renewed excitement of the year to come, let the next chapter begin!







Lindsey

Bittersweet

My baby is officially 1 year old as of 22 minutes ago…

I have had a very hard time over the past week accepting the upcoming birthday. I am so happy for him but I have to admit I have had a great deal of sadness.

It's over. The first, wonderful, challenging, life changing year is over. The only appropriate word is bittersweet.



I suppose my sadness comes from the realization that I can NEVER get this beautiful time back. It is a moment that is gone forever.

I have so enjoyed watching him grow and change and become the boy he is today.



Jack, you have brought inexplicable joy to my life. You have made a better person. Your presence has taught me things about myself and life that I never thought possible. You are my light. You are my heart. You are so very loved.

Mom (a.k.a. Lindsey)

Lessons Learned

Exactly one year ago today, at about 8 PM, my contractions began and we started a very wild ride…

As my first year of parenthood winds down, I just want to reflect on a few of the things that I have learned this year.

* Slow down! Whether it be in the car, at the grocery store, in my desire for the future. I have learned to stop, take a deep breath, and live RIGHT NOW.

* Don't let others dictate what kind of mother you are going to be. Do what works best for your family.

* Breastfeeding is AWESOME!!!

* Look forward to holidays again. For me, around the age of 14, the holidays (namely Christmas) started to lose their luster. For whatever reason my anticipation and excitement surrounding the holidays has been on a downslide for years but now I can't wait to make holidays special again. I even bought Jack a huge V Day balloon…..and I HATE Valentine's Day.

* Have the courage to read out loud. I have had terrible anxiety about reading aloud since a very young age. Maybe it's because when I read out loud in class I felt like every one was watching me, which would cause me to get nervous and stumble and stammer like a fool. And while I still stumble on occassion while reading to Jack, I know my audience doesn't care...he just likes my voice :)

* It is possible to become a more patient person. Just have colicky, terrible-sleeper-for-the-first-5-months-of-life baby.

* Just because you are Mom does not mean you have to wear "mom" jeans, cut off your hair, and never have a cocktail again.

* Sometimes being an adult sucks! Ok, I may have kind of known this before Jack but having your own child makes the stakes go up, way up.

* Being alone is great….in small doses. I used to LOVE and cherish my alone time. I attribute it to only child syndrome. However, post baby, I admit I can't wait until "sleepy time" but after a few hours on my own I'm just lonely.

* "And baby makes three"= makes marriage even harder. I was totally one of those people who said "Oh we've been together for X years. It's like we are already married." And then I ACTUALLY got married and reality set in. Something inexplicable happens when you say I do (or at least it did for us). But then you throw another curveball, aka the baby, and you are left figuring life out all over again. For me, I had this picture in my head of exactly what kind of parent Justin was going to be and that was very unfair to him. Let's face it, this was a major first for both of us. Over the past year, I have had to learn to bite my tongue if J doesn't do something EXACTLY the way I would…in fact I'm still working on it. I think both of us have also had to adjust each other's new title and the new characteristics that parenthood has brought out in our personalities. Let's face it, "Lindsey" today is NOT the same "Lindsey" as a year ago.

* That being said, we make really cute babies ;)

* I DID learn all of the words to the "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"!

* It's ok to not instantly fall in love with the little bundle of joy. Give it a few weeks and he WILL become your everything. (Thanks Cole!)

* Being a parent is HARD work but it is the MOST rewarding experience of my life.

* I have learned that am stronger than I ever knew…

There is so so so much more…What an incredible year!



Lindsey

Farewell C Cups

Over the last few weeks, I have begun to wean Jack. It is VERY bittersweet. It means my baby is moving into the next stage of his life. It means those very intimate moments of mother and child are gone forever. It also mean my fabulous C cups will soon be a thing of the past.

I must say, I am very proud of myself. Breastfeeding is demanding and a huge commitment. It is also a very personal decision and I was really quite surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience. The first week was hard and I was doubtful of my ability and commitment but once both Jack and I got the hang of it it was wonderful. Breastfeeding makes life much easier in my opinion (I've always been terribly lazy about washing bottles!).

I can't tell you how many times during a 3 am feeding I would end up crying from just watching Jack with so much wonder and love flooding my heart. Those nights and memories are something I will cherish forever.

He has taken a bottle very well from day 1 and he has been slowing eliminating feedings by himself. For the past few months, though, he would walk over, tug on my shirt and wine, take a few "tugs" off of the boob and go back to playing. Five minutes later he would be back for more and this process would go on and on. I finally had had enough and we started to do a daily bottle, which began the weaning process. He has had no objections which has made this process much easier on me. Next week, we go down to one feeding (from me) a day (first thing in the morning) and the rest will come from bottles and solid foods.

Again, it's a bittersweet time but I am also REALLY looking forward to having my body belong to me again……if only for a short period of time.


(J took this picture during our fall family photo shoot. Jack was no longer maintaining so he needed a "boob break". Probably one of my favorite photos.)

Lindsey